For Trotwood (Ohio) Madison defensive back Reon Dawson, the start of his varsity playing career is less than a week away. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound rising junior has made noise all summer at various college camps and is now ready to take his talents to Friday nights. As Dawson prepares to make his mark this season, he credits his rigorous summer camp schedule for helping to get him prepared.

"I camped at Western Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Ohio State," said Dawson. "It was a good experience for me because I got to see talent from all over and to go against some even tougher competition. At Ohio State I did really well and I was just thankful that I could go and show them what I could do."

Ohio State has already offered two talented Trotwood defensive backs in junior Cameron Burrows and senior Bam Bradley. Dawson would certainly like to become the third at some point.

"I love Ohio State," he said. "I was born and raised in Ohio; I'm a Buckeye. (At the camp) I got to talk to the (defensive back) coaches and I was just trying to learn from them and use the techniques that they showed me so that I can get better."

Though still a bit raw as a prospect, Dawson's physical talents are undeniable. His size, speed, and ball skills make him a rare talent at the cornerback position. Dawson has been working hard all summer to continue to improve, particularly in the mental aspect of the game.

"As a player my strengths are my speed, like my ability to catch-up to other players," he explained. "I still need to learn like what to do in certain situations with coverages so I need to learn a lot but I'm just taking it day by day."

Surrounding Dawson is an outstanding support system. Team leaders like Burrows and Bradley as well as head coach Maurice Douglass all have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share and Dawson takes in as much as he can.

"It's a blessing because I know that most people don't have that," he said. "I just take in whatever they tell me and I don't complain. I just do what I'm supposed to do and try to be the best player that I can be."